Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-14
Let ms be Ready.

The United States has taken an
attitude upUn the fishery question
from which she cannot recede. Con-
gress has spoken in no mistaken
teri ms on the subject Of the arbitrary
seizures, and has followed up its
declarations by a policy of reprisals
that means something more than
mere words. The whole country is
behind Congress, and no advanced
steps can be taken in this controversy
which the people will not endorse.
Following the introduction OF bills to
punish Canada in her commercial in
tercourse with us for the outrages
visited upon American fishermen,
measures have been presented to
Congress to strengthen our navy and
to place our harbors and ports on a
defensible footing. That is the proper
thing to do. Nations, any more than
individuals cannot afford to take a
stand which they are not ready to
maintain by force if need be. 1t is
among the possible contingencies of
the attitude We have taken that
serious trouble with Great Britain
may arise. In that event we should
be ready to assert our dignity at all
hazards. As we are now situated, a
sudden outbreak Of hostilities would
find US in very unprepared state. 1t
is true that we have within ourselves
unlimited resources that could be
turned, in very short time, to use,
in case of war. But, nevertheless,
the fact remains that our navy is
worthless for modern opera
tions, and our ports are defence
less as against the great naval
armaments Of the present time.
Therefore not day is to be lost in
placing our country in a position not
TO su ffer by the determination to
make our words good. Whilst it is a
fact that We would soon, even if hos
tjlities we're opened at once, be in po.
sition to successfully resist all war
like inroads by sea or land, yet in
the first burst of attack we could be
made to suffer incomputibly greater
losses than the cost of the most ex-
pensive preparations to secure us in
advance from harm would come to-
No civilized power on earth is in bet
ter condition financially and materi
ally to arm herself against attack by
land or sea. Our treasury is dropsi.
cal with money, and our credit is 331:
per cent. above par. For land opera
tions we could organize an army O
two millions Of the best fighting mer
in the world in forty-eight hours; and
If the necessity should arise, this
magnificent force could be increased
to five millions. This settles the
question as to our security on land. To
make our harbors safe and to assure
the offensive, however, We would re-
Quire time. With our available sur
rlus in the treasury we can, without
taxing the nation dollar, make our
selves secure at all points, and con-
struct naval armament that could
cope with that of any first-class power.
This, then, is the task Immediately
before us. The disposition Of Con-
gress is favorable to the rehab-
of our navy and the improve
ment of our coast defences. No time
should be lost to create these neces-
Bsry accessions to our national
strength. We have assumed an atti-
tude which calls upon US to back our
words with deeds, il need be. When
Il is seen that we are in earnest, what.
Dver concession we insist upon will
b granted. The country is ready to
Gack Congress in all the measures it
my adopt looking to the strengthen
Ing q our harbors and the improve
ment Of our navy. and unless Con.
sresa should como up 10 The expeeta-
l1one q W pyop1s > diuati6lbcllonl